Keep the Fire
| Keep the Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 40:48 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Tom Dowd | |||
| Kenny Loggins chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
| Rolling Stone[3] | (favorable) |
Keep the Fire is a soft rock album released in 1979 by Kenny Loggins.[1] It was his third solo album after Loggins & Messina disbanded, and is perhaps best known for the hit single "This is It". The song was co-written by Michael McDonald, who also performed on the track. Michael Jackson sings backup vocals on the track "Who's Right, Who's Wrong".
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Guest | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Has Come of Age" | Kenny Loggins | 3:51 | |
| 2. | "Mr. Night" | Loggins, Richard Stekol | 3:20 | |
| 3. | "This Is It" | Loggins, Michael McDonald | Michael McDonald: backing vocals | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Junkanoo Holiday (Fallin'-Flyin')" | Loggins | 4:30 | |
| 5. | "Now and Then" | Jeff Bouchard, Loggins | 3:52 | |
| 6. | "Who's Right, Who's Wrong" | Loggins, Richard Page | Michael Jackson, Richard Page: backing vocals | 5:38 |
| 7. | "Keep the Fire" | Eva Ein, Loggins | 4:34 | |
| 8. | "Give It Half a Chance" | Stephen Bishop, Loggins | 4:57 | |
| 9. | "Will It Last" | Ein, Loggins | 5:50 |
Personnel
- Kenny Loggins – lead and backing vocals, guitar, vocoder (7)
- Mike Hamilton – guitar, backing vocals, harmony vocals (3, 8)
- Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (8, 9)
- Brian Mann – keyboards, horn arrangements (1, 3-6, 8, 9), accordion solo (5)
- Michael McDonald – acoustic piano (3), harmony vocals (3)
- Max Gronenthal – ARP synthesizer programming
- George Hawkins – bass guitar, backing vocals, harmony vocals (2, 3, 8)
- Tris Imboden – drums, percussion
- Milt Holland – percussion
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (3)
- Jon Clarke – tambourine, English horn, flute, oboe, recorder, saxophone, horn arrangements (2, 7)
- Vince Denham – cabasa, saxophone, flute
- Michael Brecker – tenor sax solo (6)
- Richard Stekol – harmony vocals (2)
- Michael Jackson – harmony vocals (6)
- Richard Page – harmony vocals (6)
- Jeff Bouchard – harmony vocals (8)
Production
- Producer – Tom Dowd
- Engineer – Steve Gersky
- Second Engineer – Michael Carnavale
- Recorded at Filmways/Heider Recording (Hollywood, CA) and Santa Barbara Sound Recording (Santa Barbara, CA).
- Mastering – Mike Fuller at Criteria Studios (Miami, FL).
- Guitar Synthesizer Technician – Wayne Williams
- Visual Coordinator – Tony Lane
- Design Concept – Kenny Loggins and Scott Thom
- Cover Painting – Scott Thom
- Cover Photography – Ed Caraeff
- Sleeve Photography – Eva Ein Loggins
- Crew – Mitch Miller, Johnny Pace and C. Wolfstock Wittenberg.
- Management – Larson & Recor Associates
Reception
Rolling Stone magazine described it as "the new sound of Southern California: a sophisticated, diffuse, jazz-inflected pop rock performed by an augmented rock band in which guitar and keyboards share equal prominence" and "churning romantic atmosphere constructed around a matinee idol's voice".[3]
Legacy
"We Will Survive" by Nas from the album I Am... sampled the song "This Is It".
The award-winning short film, "Keep the Fire" by Jake Rice serves as a fictionalized "Behind The Album Cover" story, detailing the origin of the glowing white orb in Kenny's hands on the cover and the people who were involved in the creation of his hit record. The film includes computer graphics enhanced dramatizations depicting Michael McDonald, Tom Dowd, George Daly, Scott Thom, and Eva Ein. It features musical performances of "This Is It" and the acoustic version of "What A Fool Believes" as performed by Loggins and McDonald on the live recording "Outside: Live From The Redwoods".[4]
Charting History
Weekly Charts
|
Year End Charts
|
Charting Singles
| Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| "This Is It" | Australian (ARIA Chart) | 85 |
| Canada (RPM) |
9 | |
| Netherlands Singles Top 100 |
26 | |
| Official New Zealand Music Chart |
35 | |
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100 | 11 | |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary |
17 | |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 19 | |
| "Keep The Fire" | Canada (RPM) |
52 |
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100 | 36 | |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary |
40 |
References
- ^ a b Keep the Fire at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: L". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 1, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ a b Holden, Stephen (February 7, 1980). "Album reviews: Keep the Fire". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ Rice, Jake. Keep the Fire (A/V stream). Retrieved June 28, 2013.